Wanda's Life!
When I was growing up we lived in a small farm house. The home had no indoor plumbing or electric. We put wood in the old cook stove to fix our meals. We used a fireplace to keep warm. Oil lamps were used to light the home. The water was carried in buckets dipped from the well. In the summer we got our water from the creek. We had no automatic washer, so we carried water and used washboards and then hung them up on a clothesline to dry. We had no television, just a radio.
My chores around the home were to gather the eggs every evening, carry wood inside for the cook stove and fireplace, and milk the cows. Father took care of splitting the wood, feeding the animals, and farming. Mother took care of the home and kids and made soap for the family. If we got sassy mom was the one to fan our behinds. We took full baths on Saturday nights and mom fixed our hair. If our hair needed cut that was dad’s expertise. The rest of the week we just washed off every evening. Special occasions were reserved for Holidays and birthdays.
My first trip to town, I was six years old. My father took me to the dentist. It took about two hours to get to town. The transportation was a horse and buggy. We didn’t go to town very often. We went to the general store to obtain the food that we couldn’t get from the farm. The price for a loaf of bread was about seventeen cents, and bubble gum was just a penny. The local department store in town was called Sabits Five and Dime.
We wore Oxford shoes, boots with four buckles, and bibs for the winter. We had to walk four miles to school every day and good shoes were important. Our clothes were plain and simple, mostly handmade. We never went to any dances or had a favorite swimming pool. Our entertainment was at home. After the chores were done, we would listen to dad play music. Our favorite song was Amazing Grace. Dad could play almost any instrument. Sometimes, if we had enough oil for the lamp, we would play dominoes. We didn’t have a lot of toys. I got a doll for Christmas. Dad dug out the creek and made a swimming hole.
My favorite subject in school was history. I can’t remember any relatives fighting in WWI. I wasn’t born during the Roaring 20’s or the Great Depression. However, I do remember Pearl Harbor/D-Day. I remember feeling very sad at the assassination of JFK and MLK Jr. and very scared on September 11, 2001. I have lived to see the first black President.
Times were tough; money was tight, lots of work and very little play time. Mother and Father never argued or at least not around the children. They had a good marriage, a wonderful family, and a good life.
Kayla Sayre
FFA Ripley High School
When I was growing up we lived in a small farm house. The home had no indoor plumbing or electric. We put wood in the old cook stove to fix our meals. We used a fireplace to keep warm. Oil lamps were used to light the home. The water was carried in buckets dipped from the well. In the summer we got our water from the creek. We had no automatic washer, so we carried water and used washboards and then hung them up on a clothesline to dry. We had no television, just a radio.
My chores around the home were to gather the eggs every evening, carry wood inside for the cook stove and fireplace, and milk the cows. Father took care of splitting the wood, feeding the animals, and farming. Mother took care of the home and kids and made soap for the family. If we got sassy mom was the one to fan our behinds. We took full baths on Saturday nights and mom fixed our hair. If our hair needed cut that was dad’s expertise. The rest of the week we just washed off every evening. Special occasions were reserved for Holidays and birthdays.
My first trip to town, I was six years old. My father took me to the dentist. It took about two hours to get to town. The transportation was a horse and buggy. We didn’t go to town very often. We went to the general store to obtain the food that we couldn’t get from the farm. The price for a loaf of bread was about seventeen cents, and bubble gum was just a penny. The local department store in town was called Sabits Five and Dime.
We wore Oxford shoes, boots with four buckles, and bibs for the winter. We had to walk four miles to school every day and good shoes were important. Our clothes were plain and simple, mostly handmade. We never went to any dances or had a favorite swimming pool. Our entertainment was at home. After the chores were done, we would listen to dad play music. Our favorite song was Amazing Grace. Dad could play almost any instrument. Sometimes, if we had enough oil for the lamp, we would play dominoes. We didn’t have a lot of toys. I got a doll for Christmas. Dad dug out the creek and made a swimming hole.
My favorite subject in school was history. I can’t remember any relatives fighting in WWI. I wasn’t born during the Roaring 20’s or the Great Depression. However, I do remember Pearl Harbor/D-Day. I remember feeling very sad at the assassination of JFK and MLK Jr. and very scared on September 11, 2001. I have lived to see the first black President.
Times were tough; money was tight, lots of work and very little play time. Mother and Father never argued or at least not around the children. They had a good marriage, a wonderful family, and a good life.
Kayla Sayre
FFA Ripley High School
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